Brazilian Waters Declared a Safe Sanctuary for Whales and Dolphins

December 21, 2008

Brazilian Waters Declared a Safe Sanctuary for Whales and Dolphins

Earlier this year, Chile declared all their waters safe for whales when the President signed a bill to create the Chilean Whale Sanctuary. The entire 3,400 mile shoreline is now officially a safe place for cetaceans.

Now Brazil has done the same thing and the Brazilian government this week signed a federal decree establishing the Brazilian Whale and Dolphin Sanctuary, which will drastically increase protection for all cetacean species along the country's entire 5,000 mile long coast.

According to José Truda Palazzo, Jr., Brazilian Commissioner to the International Whaling Commission, "the initiative sends a clear and powerful message to the international community in relation to Brazil's commitment towards whale conservation, and also reinforces our campaign for a South Atlantic Whale Sanctuary to be established in the entire oceanic basin."

The decree, backed by Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, is yet another sign of growing momentum towards much needed protection measures across wide areas of the southern oceans.

There is also a growing movement to prevent other nations, especially Japan, from whaling in the region.

Efforts continue to pressure the International Whaling Commission to establish a whale sanctuary for the entire South Atlantic Ocean from South America to Africa.

The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society's position is that all the world's waters be declared a permanent sanctuary for all whales and dolphins. Most of the world is in agreement that whales and dolphins should be given full universal protection.

Only a small minority of radical whaling nations continue to hold onto barbaric traditions that have no place in the 21st Century. These radical whale killing renegade nations are (1) Japan (2) Norway (3) Iceland (4) Denmark (5) Canada (6) St, Lucia (7) St. Vincent